Trivia for scarface
When filming wrapped, Franco Nitti had a movie of 8-10 hours long, including long shots, unscripted dialog and improvised scenes. Nitti was forced to cut the film. He cut the film to 6 hours intending it to be a two-part film with both films having a running time of 3 hours. This idea was refused by the production companies since a lot of sequels had bombed at the box office. Nitti then cut the film to 269 minutes, this version also premiered at Cannes Film Festival, but this version was deemed too long for regular release and also the MPAA gave the film an X-rating for the brutal violence, graphic and explicit sexuality and extreme pervasive language. Nitti then cut the film to 229 minutes removing (according to him) important parts of the film. The 229 minutes is currently seen as the official version and this version was viewed through Europe. In America however, the film was given again an X-rating for the violence even with the 229-minute version (according to the MPAA because of the graphic rape scene and the brutal shoot-out at the cemetery). In America, the production-company and theater edited the film to 139 minutes and dubbing the film. Nitti was heartbroken by this decision and didn't direct for three years. In 1990, the 229-minute version had its premiere in the US with actors and crew present. Al Pacino learned the Cuban accent using language interpretation. Nitti started doing work for the film in 1973. This means that it took 10 years to make the film. Clancy Brown, who portrays the mob-boss Martin, originally declined the role fearing that he wasn't the person the crew was looking for, but Nitti said: "trust me, you are!" Edward Norton was only 17 years old when he acted in the film. He even celebrated his 17th birthday on the set of the film. The original screenplay for the film was approximetly a film of 2 hours and 7 minutes. However, because of so much re-writings, added scenes and improvisation during the filming the end product was originally 10-8 hours long. The famous scene when Anthony and Miguel (the characters of Pacino and Bronson) are followed by mobsters and they hide into a tiolet. This tiolet is very fancy looking and the two main characters start to discuss about it was originally not in the screenplay but was improvised by Pacino and Bronson. It was inspired by something which happened on the set: a perverse joke was made up by Nitti about peeing backwards. Nitti liked it so much that he never re-shot the scene. Although Anthony Gotti's life is mostly inspired by Al Capone's life his downfall was inspired by the downfalls of John Dilliner and Bonnie & Clyde. Al Pacino revealed that Anthony Gotti is the most fun character he ever played. Jennifer Lopez was 16 when she played the role. The last 20 minutes when Gotti is snorting cocaine, walking down the center and streets with a handgun making pervertic jokes and threatening people, visiting a pornographic theater, killing the person who arranges the film and finally the legendary shoot-out with the police on the highway in which he finally shot in the back with a shotgun was very doubting to film. Director Franco Nitti originally pitched the idea to have Pacino in a shower in order to get the feeling he is addicted and sweating. However, Pacino decided to visit a fitness-club every hour before shooting those scenes until he had no energy left. Franco Nitti said that from all the movies he has directed, this was together with two other movies his dream-project. Although the 269-minute version which premiered on the 1983 Cannes Film Festival has never been shown to the world, is currently in film laboraties for a release in 2013 on the Cannes Film Festival. For the 2009 blu-ray restoration, some members of the production-company said to Nitti that he should use CGI blood during the violent scenes for a more modern revision however Nitti refused that saying that he dislikes CGI special effects for gore. During the release of the film, Pacino would often act like Anthony Gotti and wear his clothes for amusement in talk shows. Charles Bronson was the first person who was offered a role in the film. Bronson said that he probably would have never done the film if Pacino didn't portray Gotti.